Meet The Creative Team Behind Casa Maricruz

We met in Los Angeles, where we lived and all felt nostalgic for Spain. Deep down, all three of us are now dedicated to revitalizing Spanish popular culture, each in our own field. I’m María, CEO and Creative Director of Casa Maricruz. I am a former cultural journalist, but when I moved to Los Angeles, home for 7 years, I began combining my profession with my first explorations into traditional Spanish crafts. Anton, aka C. Tangana, modernizes Spanish popular songs with his album "El Madrileño," while Santos, through his production company Little Spain, focuses on cultural activation. When I decided to leave what I was doing in Los Angeles to start the Casa Maricruz project, I couldn't think of better partners than them. Today, together we aim to perpetuate traditional Spanish craftsmanship for future generations.

What does Spanish hosting look like to you?

Spanish hosting is the most fun in the world because it allows for a lot of informality. Any Spaniard always has good olives, good cheese, and a chilled white wine in the fridge in case friends drop by. Another thing I love about Spanish hosting is the “sobremesa,” which is the most important part of the meal. Once dessert is finished, the real party begins, always accompanied by more wine and spirits, and many hours of chatting, laughing, singing, and dancing. The only downside is that your friends won't leave until after 6 in the morning. The good thing is that no one finds it strange if you go to bed while the party is still going on in your own home.

Can you tell us more about what you call: The craft activism movement?

We are at a turning point. We either work to preserve traditional craftsmanship, along with the values it entails such as patience, meticulousness, local raw materials, and sustainability, or we risk losing it all. Traditional craftsmanship is about making pieces that last a lifetime, aren't dictated by trends, and serve their purpose for as long as possible, even passing down to our heirs. If we don't communicate this urgency, our children and grandchildren won’t know what an artisan is or what humans can create with their hands. Humans have been making tools by hand since the development of the opposable thumb, and we are at a pivotal moment where centuries of legacy and experience could vanish forever.